All About Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson's Relationship After “The Bachelor”
Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson plan on a long engagement after he proposed during the season 28 finale of 'The Bachelor'
Joey Graziadei has found his future wife in Kelsey Anderson after a whirlwind season on The Bachelor.
The reality TV star proposed to Kelsey during the season 28 finale of the show, which aired on March 25, 2024.
Shortly after the season's conclusion, the couple spoke to PEOPLE about how they’re excited to just be a “normal couple.”
“We have a shared note and we both add to it,” Kelsey said. “There's dance classes, pottery classes, grocery shopping — little things together and the big things. I'm just excited to do life together and just run to the store together.”
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In November 2024, Kelsey and Joey celebrated 365 days as a couple.
"I still cannot believe that it has been a year since I got down on one knee and asked you to marry me," the Pennsylvania native wrote on Instagram. "This is another appreciation post for everything you do. The laughs, the love, the support, the joy and the excitement. Every day with you is an adventure."
That same month, Joey and his partner, Jenna Johnson, were crowned Mirrorball champions on season 33 of Dancing with the Stars.
From why they won't get married soon to attending couples therapy together, here’s everything to know about Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson’s relationship after The Bachelor.
They attended couples therapy after The Bachelor
After the show wrapped filming, Kelsey and Joey had to keep their relationship secret in the “in-between period” while it aired. During that time, the couple attended therapy together to work on their communication.
“It's definitely not easy because we both do appreciate the physical touch,” Joey told PEOPLE. “We communicate so much better when we're actually with each other in the same room. But the couples' counseling made a huge difference for us to not only be able to find better ways to communicate, but also learn how each of us communicate differently.”
He added that the sessions “made a world of difference” and helped them learn “a lot about each other.”
“Even though this time has not been the easiest — because who would want to be apart from someone when they get engaged? — I think it's going to help us in the future,” Joey said.
They found creative ways to keep their relationship secret while the show was airing
While Joey and Kelsey tried to find their way as a newly engaged couple, they came up with creative ways to hide their relationship. They even went as far as to use aliases for each other on their phones, with Kelsey using Faine C. for Joey since it was a different spelling of fiancé.
Joey was not a fan, calling it the “worst name.” “It's the dumbest one ever,” he said. “Have you ever met with a name Faine in your life? Because there's no such person as a Faine.”
After the finale, Joey said he was looking forward to being renamed Joey in her phone — and being out in the open together.
He added that his and Kelsey’s relationship has been “in reverse” as they got to know each other on a deeper level before learning all the small details about each other that one usually starts a relationship off with. Due to that, he felt the two had a “really strong foundation.”
“It's ideal, I think, at the end of the day,” he said. “It's just a little different.”
They want to have a long engagement
Though the season may have ended with an engagement, Joey and Kelsey are in no rush to get married.
“We want to promise our lives together, but we don't want to rush it,” Joey said. “It's time now to enjoy this. We have the rest of our lives to celebrate it. We're going to take it day by day and just enjoy this time.”
Kelsey elaborated that they planned on staying engaged for two or three years and continuing to get to know each other.
As for wedding planning, Kelsey said she has a lot to think about as she doesn’t have any clear ideas yet, other than wanting a “timeless” ceremony.
“I honestly don't know what I want my wedding to look like,” she said. “I definitely want all my close friends and family there. I think I want a very timeless wedding, but where? Not sure. I guess we're going to have to figure that out.”
Joey added that the long engagement will help give him and Kelsey time to come up with the details.
“I'm sure more ideas will come out of that,” Joey said. “We have no interest in putting it off, we just don't want to rush through it. We want it to be something that feels special together.”
They balance each other out
Though the tennis pro and his fiancée may not be walking down the aisle soon, Kelsey said she knows Joey will not only be a good husband, but also a good father.
“He's going to be an amazing father,” Kelsey said. “Joey is very intentful with his words and his actions. He really grounds me. Through this whole experience, I saw so many qualities in him that just really struck me. A lot of those qualities were what my dad showed and I saw them in Joey, which my mom always told me, ‘You need to find somebody that has the same qualities as your dad,’ and I do feel like I found that.”
Joey had equally glowing words for Kelsey, who he said balances him out with her “fun energy” that counteracts his more serious persona.
“I have a tendency sometimes to take things too serious, to overthink things, to just kind of not be able to sometimes let it be what it's going to be, and she does that with ease,” he said.
He continued, “She just has this fun energy about her. No matter whoever she meets in the room, she makes them feel seen and special, and has this bright light about her. I've always said, ‘I can't imagine how I wouldn't enjoy life when I have her by my side.’ “
They turned to other former Bachelor couples for advice
Amid their individual Bachelor journeys, Joey and Kelsey turned to Bachelor alums Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko. As Charity’s runnerup in season 20 of The Bachelorette, Joey developed a “close” bond with Dotun, who gave Kelsey “great advice,” she said.
"'Just go through it with no refunds,’ ” she recalled Dotun telling her. “So I'm like, 'You don't have any refunds here. This is a non exchangeable.' So regardless of what obstacles come our way, I know that we're going to be able to get through it."
Joey added that Charity and Dotun had “been there for both of us,” and that he leaned on their expertise as he navigated his unique journey to love through the show.
"There's two sides. There's the idea of just understanding what all of this is like, and it's also talking to the couples that have been able to make it through it," he explained. "So we've been trying to do a little bit of both, and I think it's been really helpful for us to just understand that we're not alone."
Kelsey was supportive of Joey's Dancing with the Stars journey
In November 2024, Joey was crowned the winner of Dancing with the Stars season 33 alongside his partner, Jenna Johnson. Kelsey was in the ballroom each week to cheer on her fiancé, including during the season finale where Joey and Johnson took home the Mirrorball trophy.
"My champ," Kelsey wrote on her Instagram Stories following Joey's big win.
They are living together in Los Angeles
Shortly after Joey's Dancing with the Stars win, the couple moved into an apartment in L.A.
"A week ago we were celebrating Joey winning DWTS. Today we are eating Sushi in our new place with no furniture," Kelsey shared on Instagram in December 2024. "For the big days and the regular days, I’ll be there."
In the comments, Joey wrote, "Love you babe. Can’t wait to create a beautiful home with you!!"
Read the original article on People